In subsurface mining of rocks in mining, for extracting ores, gemstones or other raw materials, for example, the rock layers that are to be mined are typically made accessible via access tunnels or a network of access tunnels. Today, the actual mining mostly takes place by explosions in the rock layer that is to be mined and by subsequent removal of the mined material for triage and further utilization. Again and again, such explosions cause accidents and are thus subject to high safety requirements that are monitored regularly. Typically, for safety reasons the mining tunnels and the access tunnels are amply cleared, which involves major logistic efforts and completely interrupts the mining in phases. Furthermore, it is difficult to limit the extent of mining during explosions so that rock located adjacent to the rock layer to be mined is mined or that residues of the rock layer to be mined remain and are not mined.
Partly, mining devices with which the operating safety can be significantly improved, with which the number of interruptions of the mining can be considerably reduced, and with which the raw-material-containing rock layer can be more efficiently mined in a specific manner, i.e., ideally by including a rectangular mining cross-section, are also used today for the subsurface extraction of raw materials off rocks. For example, under product description ARM 1100, VOEST-ALPINE BERGTECHNIK markets a mining device comprising a frame on which a swivel arm is arranged that can be tunneled in relationship to a portion of the mining device wired with a tunnel. A rotating cutting disk having cutting disks arranged on its end face is arranged at the end of the swivel arm. During operation, the swivel arm is swiveled back and forth when the cutting wheel rotates, whereby the rock coming into contact with the cutting wheel is mined. On the one hand, an essentially rectangular mining cross-section can be created with the help of the swivel arm. However, a continuous mining over the entire mining cross-section is not possible with such a mining device, which limits the mining productivity.
It is thus the object of the following invention to propose a mining device that creates an essentially rectangular mining cross-section and allows for a continuous mining.